28 Apr 2016

What we think is the first Comma butterfly we have seen this
year. It is perched on a broken stem of a teasel and you can see
the characteristic white mark on the bottom of the wing that
gives the species it's name.

Here the same Comma Butterfly has moved on to a daffodil flower for a sunbathe.
At low air temperatures the sun is needed to bring them up to 'operating temperature'.
Unfortunately they can't feed on Daffodils, but there are plenty of Primroses, Snowdrops
and May flowers for them to feed on.

25 Apr 2016

An opportunity to show you 2 different members of the Thrush family at
identical scales. Thrushes include Redwing and Blackbird shown here,
as well as Fieldfare, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush - all of this sort of size.

... but within the same minute all is calm again. Corvids and
Pheasants usually coexist in peace!

Ref: E63_20160314_1603_034_FB1 Pheasant male feeding with Rook after being startled.jpg

18 Apr 2016

This is an adult Green Woodpecker (we can't tell which sex) in all it's
colourful glory.
We have not 'wound up' the colours.

Ref: E62_20160316_0800_088_FB5 Green Woodpecker.jpg

4 different small bird species (and a white feather) make a pleasing
composition without any changes from the original frame.
This sort of layout is usually the result of photoshopping in bird seed adverts!

17 Apr 2016

What we think is the same Badger makes several visits a week, mostly
at the Infra-Red Trail cams, but sometimes at the high-resolution
photo sites.

Ref: E64_20160317_0204_091_FB2 Badger (crop).jpg

16 Apr 2016

We are now seeing a Moorhen on the main pond for brief periods on
many days. It doesn't seem particularly bothered by our moving by
the windows but we never get to see it when we visit the pond.
When feeding the basic techniques is to lift lumps of pond weed
and turn them over to expose edible morsels hiding beneath.

15 Apr 2016

Here are some unexpectedly regular visitors for us in mid March -
Redwings spread through the week. In previous years a single
sighting in all of March is the norm.

Ref: E63_20160310_1521_050_FB1 Redwing.jpg

Here are some unexpectedly regular visitors for us in mid March -
Redwings spread through the week. In previous years a single
sighting in all of March is the norm.

Ref: E63_20160317_0619_138_FB1 Redwing.jpg

Here are some unexpectedly regular visitors for us in mid March -
Redwings spread through the week. In previous years a single
sighting in all of March is the norm.
This seems to be a different individual to other sighting in the week.

Ref: E64_20160315_0717_054_FB2 Redwing.jpg

14 Apr 2016

A Rook picking up recently scattered corn.
Just look at the colours in the feathers - we find it almost miraculous!
We have not artificially intensified them.

A pair of Rooks looking at we know-not-what to the left.
Does the Jackdaw (rightmost bird) wonder if it can nip in for a feed?

Ref: E62_20160314_1600_016_FB5 2 Rooks with Jackdaw behind.jpg

13 Apr 2016

A Jackdaw making final approach adjustments to land on the perch.

Ref: E60_20160312_1119_037_FB3 Jackdaw aerobraking to land on perch (crop).jpg

12 Apr 2016

Under a sun warmed corrugated Iron sheet at the edge of the meadow we used
to surprise Grass Snakes, but more recently we are lucky to even spot
a Rodent. Here a probably terrified Shrew (probably the Common)
ran in a circle before disappearing beneath the leaf litter.
Notice the small Snail shell next to the Shrew.

11 Apr 2016

Very heavy rain (38mm in 12 hours) doesn't stop the male Great
Spotted Woodpecker (right) visiting the peanut feeder. The Woodpecker
looks quite pristine, but the Tree Sparrow on the left looks really bedraggled.

In the pouring rain this Barn Owl visit that stayed for over an hour, the
rain soaking the bird and the East facing window through which this camera takes it's pictures.
This is as good as the images got - a whole unprocessed frame - we can't even guess
which of our regular Barn Owls it is.
Which 'authority' says Owls seek shelter in the rain?

09 Apr 2016

This Barn Owl arrives before the camera has 'turned itself on' for
the night. We saw it on the CCTV and stampeded to the camera to
grab just this one useable image before the Rooks took exception
and chased it away. Rooks mobbing Owls in the twilight is
standard behaviour we have seen many times in the past elsewhere
around the farmland.

Ref: D01_20160309_1747_002_FB6 Barn Owl (natural light).jpg

08 Apr 2016

A very neat male Great Spotted Woodpecker propping himself
at 45 degrees with his tail.

07 Apr 2016

The weather forecast for heavy snow fortunately skimmed north of us
leaving a light overnight snow shower that melted before sundown.
These small birds don't have the reserves to stop for a bit of snow.

05 Apr 2016

Our returned Moorhen appeared for part of another day.
Here he/she is stepping down the Iris fronds to pick up some
water weed to eat.

Ref: D5C_20160304_1333_005+1334_007+009+010 Moorhen stepping down to feed on water weed 1+3+5+6 of 8 (horizontal spread montage).jpg

04 Apr 2016

This is the whole camera frame that happens to just neatly frame
the whole badger.
It really is 'pot-luck' how to adjust the camera in these fixed automatic setups
to get detailed images without missing too much out of frame

Ref: E63_20160308_2114_081_FB1 Badger in heavy rain (full frame).jpg

The next night (the later side of midnight) a less-well framed image
but a lovely view of the face of this badger.
We know Badgers are reputed to be 'grumpy' but maybe only when being messed about.

Ref: E63_20160310_0130_140_FB1 Badger approaching stone (crop).jpg

03 Apr 2016

This Great Tit has probably just finished the last of the corn
grains on the top of the stone, and is about to make a little
'wing assisted' jump down to start on the offerings at ground level.

Ref: E63_20160302_1431_068_FB1 Great Tit about to make wing assisted hop down from log.jpg

02 Apr 2016

Robins are paired up all over the site.

Ref: E64_20160301_1759_072_FB2 Robin pair feeding together.jpg

Robins are paired up all over the site.

Ref: E63_20160229_1545_019_FB1 Robin pair feeding together.jpg

Robins are paired up all over the site.

Ref: DF3_20160303_0715_032 Robin pair on south side of blocked gate in early morning sunshine.jpg

01 Apr 2016

Ghost Bird!
Some unidentified small bird so close to the camera and flash
that we get this hopelessly overexposed image with this strange photo-bomb.
Genuine un-fudged single frame - not an 'April Fool' joke!

Out in the rain, this male Great Spotted Woodpecker poses at the
feeder. The tips of the tail feathers get quite a beating being
used as a prop on vertical surfaces. We don't know where this
one got the brown tip on one tail feather.